Skarmory 63/165 Pokémon E-Series Expedition Raw

Pokémon: N/A

Series: E-Card Series

Set: Expedition Base

Card Number: 63

Rarity: Rare

Condition: N/A

Grade: Raw

Year: 2002

Illustrator: Kimiya Masago

Type: Steel

The Skarmory 63/165 is a Rare Metal-type Basic Pokémon card from the Expedition Base Set (E-Series), released on September 15, 2002 by Wizards of the Coast and illustrated by Kimiya Masago, a Japanese artist whose sharp, angular linework and dynamic composition brought a sense of razor-sharp aerial speed to one of the franchise's most iconic Steel-type Pokémon. As a 60 HP Pokémon with a Weakness to Fire-type attacks (×2), a Grass-type Resistance of −30, and a Retreat Cost of one Colorless Energy, it occupies a strategically important position within the 165-card master set. The Expedition Base Set was the second English E-Card expansion, following Pokémon-e, and introduced the Delta Species mechanic alongside a roster of Pokémon from the Hoenn region, making it a pivotal transitional set between the Neo era's physical card dominance and the emerging digital E-Card platform.

In terms of decks and strategy, Skarmory's two attacks make it one of the most tactically efficient Rare Metal Pokémon in the entire E-Card era. Steel Beak costs two Metal and one Colorless Energy, deals 20 base damage, and adds 10 more for each Energy attached to the Defending Pokémon—creating a scaling damage profile that punished over-invested attackers and rewarded disciplined energy management. Air Cutter costs three Colorless Energy and deals a flat 50 damage, providing a reliable knockout tool against most 50–60 HP Pokémon of the era. In 2002-era competitive formats, Skarmory found utility in Metal-type and defensive-hybrid decks as a cheap, fast body that could either scale its damage against heavily energized opponents or deliver a consistent 50-damage strike, and its Grass Resistance of −30 made it a natural counter to Tyranitar-heavy and Grass-type strategies. In modern Unlimited and Expanded formats, it remains a functional tech card in Metal-focused strategies, and its single Colorless Retreat Cost makes it a highly mobile bench presence that can rotate in and out freely without energy investment.

Collectors love the Expedition Skarmory for its unique position as one of the most mechanically complete Rare Metal Pokémon in the entire E-Card era, a card whose scaling Steel Beak attack created a fascinating internal tension between reliable minimum output and explosive maximum potential that rewarded strategic energy investment. Kimiya Masago's illustration—depicting Skarmory in a dynamic, mid-flight pose with its sharp beak extended forward and its large, angular wings fully spread against a dramatic metallic backdrop—captures the raw, predatory speed of the species in a style that stands out among the more conventional artwork of the set's other Rare Pokémon. The E-Card format's distinctive Dot Code strip along the bottom edge, designed for scanning with the discontinued Pokémon-e Reader device, gives the card a genuinely unique physical structure that no other Pokémon TCG printing shares, and the digital layer it was designed for—animated card views, bonus in-game rewards, and exclusive content—has since been lost to time, making these cards the sole surviving artifacts of a short-lived but innovative digital platform. As a Basic Pokémon that can be played directly from the hand on turn one, Skarmory occupies a structurally important position within the set's early-game options, and its permanently fixed supply—combined with over 24 years of natural wear from the population of Expedition cards that were opened, played, and traded in the early 2000s—ensures that quality raw copies remain a steady target for both E-Card set completionists and nostalgic players who remember scanning cards into the Reader for bonus digital content.

Product Details

Card Number / Rarity:063/165 / Rare

Card Type / HP / Stage:Metal / 60 / Basic

Attack 1:[1M] Steel Beak (20+)
Flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 20 damage plus 10 more damage.

Attack 2:[3] Air Cutter (50)
Flip a coin. If tails, this attack does nothing.

Weakness / Resistance / Retreat Cost:R / G-30 / 2

Stock Image(s) Shown.

All cards are professionally rated for quality assurance.

All cards come sleeved, cards above $5 in value come toploaded.